Welcome

Welcome to the POZ/AIDSmeds Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and
others concerned about HIV/AIDS. Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the
conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning: Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive
and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a
username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own
physician.

All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators
of these forums. Click here for “Am I Infected?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ/AIDSmeds community forums.

We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please
provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are
true and correct to their knowledge.

Author
Topic: Started meds last night (Read 11053 times)

Had my last appointment with the doc yesterday. Good news, resistance test came back and I am not resistant to any meds. He gave me a perscription for Atripla. Got it filled (almost dropped when I saw the $100 copay). Took my first pill last night before bed as directed.

I'm not sure if I was too nervous but it took a long time to fall asleep and about 1 hour into it , I felt as though I had droped some acid. Hallucinations like ive never experienced before. I ended up just laying there watching the show. I did end up falling asleep. I woke up this morning groggy and it took a good couple hours before I felt back to normal.

So one down ...who knows how many to go.

I have hope this isnt going to be so bad. So far I think my mood has improved. At least now im doing something to fight this.

Sorry to hear about the hallaucinations. Its so weird how these meds can affect one person so differently than the other. I took my first pill the other nite and i didnt even know i had taken it, last night i took the second and i felt a little dizzy a couple times when i stood up, but so far thats about it (knock on wood). I'm still waiting for the worse and hoping for the best. i understand it takes a 3 or 4 pills for it to really get into the system.

I am like you that i'm just happy to at least feel like i'm fighting it somehow or another instead of sitting around waiting for something to happen.

I normally have trouble sleeping anyways and my doc prescribes me ambien, so i took my little pill and about an hour and half later i took half an ambien and was asleep. The good thing about ambien is that it works quickly so u dont have time to lay there and think much.

GOOD LUCK on your second night i'm confident it will be a little better for ya. I guess will see what happens to me on my third nite

hang in there for a while and see how the side effects go. It'll take a while (maybe even a few weeks) while your bod adjusts to the meds and your viral load decreases. That's a lot of changing going on, so give it some time, if needed. (worse comes to worse, there are other meds out there )

Only 20 more pills left to take in 2010! WooHoo! (since i take norvir/reyetaz/truvada and an acyclovir, I have 80 more pills to take to close out this year heaven knows I don't know that I can do the math figuring out back in oh say '98 when I was taking about 28 pills and tbsp of meds a day. LOL)

dude, my first night was the only night of something out of the norm. things went to a soaring normal immediately after that.

copay assistance is available. atripla's manufacturer's have a one year assistance program that covers the cost of the copay (up to $200 i believe) for a year. i am using it!

ask your pharmacist or dr for more info. my dr gave me the coupon right before i started. i started meds 2 and a half months ago. hmm, i have a scanned copy of my card.

i can send you a copy of the card info if you like. my email contact is in my profile. the number on the card is 866 784 3431 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 866 784 3431 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. hope i just helped save you $1,200. happy holidays, lol.

Paying for Your MedsGetting the medication you need isn't always easy. If you’re worried about how you will pay for your HIV therapy, here are a few tips: •Talk to your doctor•Contact your insurance company•Look into government programs•Contact the ATRIPLA Patient Assistance Program•Contact the Partnership for Prescription Assistance•Contact the ATRIPLA Co-pay Assistance Program

check out Atripla's website for co-pay assistance application. When you receive the red card present it to your pharmacist they will take it from there... Side effects for the most part will last for only a short period of time some are lucky and some are not.. But at the end they go away. Been on Atripla for a month and the side effects come and go but i gratefull for the med..

Thanks, i asked my doc about a sleep aid and he didnt want to prescribe anything just yet. He recommended melatonin. I am going to go out and get some and take it this evening. Hope that helps me sleep. You know even though I was definately hallucinatin it really wasnt that bad. I never felt sick or like it was too much.

I called atripla to see about the copay assist but they were closed for the weekend. Ill try monday. Ill post how tonight goes.

i asked my doc about a sleep aid and he didnt want to prescribe anything just yet. He recommended melatonin. I am going to go out and get some and take it this evening. Hope that helps me sleep.

the first exciting night of taking atripla, it took you longer to fall asleep, and now you call the doctor and then want to run out and take more pills to try to sleep? LOL Nothing like trying to find a pill to cure everything. Why don't you just wait to see how another night or two goes by before trying to "fix" something that may not be broke. Just saying.

see all those smiley, laughing emoticons? that's how one can indicate humor, jesting, and kidding when using the written/typed word on the internet. I'm sorry you misinterpreted the meaning of what I wrote even though I included all those laughing faces.

Although it seems there was more of that misinterpretation going on between us in this thread.

you never mentioned that you had a sleeping disorder beforehand or that you spoke with the doctor about that problem. What you did say in this thread was that last night, your first night on atripla, that you were unable to fall asleep. Since some people are able to reach their doctors on the weekend and you told us about wanting a sleep aid after telling us about not sleeping with the atripla, I just assumed that you were telling your story in chronological order.

I never used to have a problem sleeping. Until I found out I was positive. Now it seems I have problems. Go figure. ....It can make a guy cranky

it wouldn't be like there was anything on your mind lately, would it? LOL With coming to grips with being poz, starting meds, looking at financing the meds much less trying to learn all about teh hiv, the meds, and the research, it's no wonder you're having problems sleepings and with being cranky sometimes.

Nearly 20 years later, and it all still makes my head hurt some days, so don't feel bad. Though none of this is magically going to go away, I would venture to say that after you've had more time to adapt, to get used to the meds, etc, that you'll feel better and sleep will come a lot easier.

Nothing happened. Everything I experienced the first night stopped. I was a little dizzy, and woke up a little dizzy, but nothing compared to the 1st night. Ugh, I am so happy. The first night was rough. Heres to it "gettting better"

My doctor warned me that Atripla can cause a rash. He said it usually does not warrant stopping or switching to another medicine. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and it felt like my skin was on fire. However, today I dont have any rash. Does anyone know how this rash is supposed to manifest itself? Whats it like? How long does it last?

So other than the skin on fire thing and some mornging dizzyness night 3 wasnt so bad.

Does anyone know how this rash is supposed to manifest itself? Whats it like? How long does it last?

Hey Bug... I don't know about the typical situation, but in my case the rash started on day 10 of Atripla, and lasted 7 days. It was very itchy, an angry red colour and was bumpy. Benadryl helped a bit, but if I scratched it just got worse. In my case, the rash went from the top of my neck down to my thighs. After a few days it also started showing up on my head. Once it began to fade, it buggered off pretty quick and hasn't reappeared.

just to mention, my doctor said rash is no too common is only 6% of chance but in a majority of people the side effects gone after 17 to 20 days. i say to you don't be worry about side effects so if something show up you can takecare in that moment, before I start on atripla was so worried about it, cuz was reading and reading too much and no everything in the webs is true..

hi all, tonight will be my 5th night. when i got up for work this morning i kinda felt groggy and it seemed to stick around most of the work day. I too get that warm feeling around my ears, kinda feels like my ears are on fire at times, i had to check to see if i had fever at one point, but i didnt. I hope that this groggy feeling goes away soon and i sure hope the rash doesnt show up....uggggh.. I'm hanging on Maelrod's advise to not think about it much, but its not easy...uggggh.

i know is not easy, i been on atripla for almost 10 weeks and still feeling groggy at morning i think is cuz i have to wake up early 5 am every day no more issues here I was on fews nightmares on my 3r day but nothing else. i had good and bad days like everyone, some times is no too easy but I'm trying my best I'm on TB medication, today was my first pill (my doctor call latent TB that's mean no active...but she said i was on contact w the TB bacteria ) yesterday was crying didn't sleep last night thinking on, but i have to take TB meds just to make sure ___i done my chest xrays and show up clean TB but my arm was reactive so what can i do ? nothing'''' by the way i been poz from November last year, i found out in August 10th six weeks later i stared meds cuz my CD4 was on 279 and a vl on 122000 good look and try your best

For me I had no side effects until the rash! It came on like a firestorm and went away just as fast! It started on day 12, I woke up with little red dots here and there. By the next morning the dots had raised (like hives) and started to itch. For the next 24 hrs I was popping benadryl like they were candy to try to stop the itch. A friend recommended I take a luke warm bath using this product by Aveeno, it's some sort of oatmeal powder you mix in the bath water. Wow that really helped with the itch! (Oh and once you finish the bath, DO NOT rinse off... just pat yourself dry and leave the Aveeno solution on your skin.) By the next morning the itch was gone, the bumps had flattened out and I was left with red patches on my skin (I'm very fair skinned to begin with so a little red goes a long ways on me!) The redness slowly went away over the next few days.

It really sucked for that 24 hours, but since that is the only side effect I've had since starting last month I'll take it!

Good luck with it! I'm really happy you're doing well with the Atripla so far.

Last night was the first night that I have slept through the night after starting Atripla. I was so happy when I woke up this morning and realized I finally had a good nights sleep. Grogginess was not that bad today and so far no rash. Every night (except last night) after I take it, it feels like my skin is on fire so I'm hoping I dont get the rash I was warned about. Fingers crossed.

hi bug,just checking how you doing with everything. the meds seem to be going well with me. i went to the doctor today and i've love 5 more pounds, so doc wants to keep an eye on that...ever since my seroconversion i lost about 20 pounds due to lost of appatite, but ive been eating more than normal and still havent gained any back. doctor says may be just my body going thru changes with the meds and etc.

Ifs been going well. The side effects I have been experiencing have been minor. Some sleep issues and for awhile I would wake up in the middle of the night and my skin would feel hot. I never really got a rash but I was itchy for awhile but that has been getting better.

Im kind of suprised at how well Ive done. Im waiting for the other shoe to drop.

doctor says may be just my body going thru changes with the meds and etc.

that's why I always tell people to expect some side effects and just deal with them for the first couple of weeks.

Just like the dramatic changes the HIV was making in your body (ie destroying the functioning of your immune system, much less allowing other illnesses free reign in your body), once you start meds the reverse happens. Not only does your body have to adjust to the new levels of chemotherapy that you're introduced into your system, but the HIV is being eradicated and your immune system should be repairing itself and fighting off pathogens it wasn't able to tackle. And all that is happening in probably a vastly shorter time frame than the damage that was done since time of infection

for example: say that one was infected for 5 years, tested, and then 2 years later went onto meds. The meds could/should actually work fast enough to reverse some of that 7 years worth of damage in approx 4 months. That's an awful big change in a short time. Is it any wonder people puke, have gas, feel flushed and dizzy, can't sleep or eat well, or have rashes? LOL

Ok I am posting an update. I hope I don't offend anyone. Everything has been going great since starting Atripla. No real bad side effects (knock of wood) and since I have started I have been getting Raging hard-on's all the time and sex drive through the roof.

Why is it that NO ONE mentioned that side effect to me. Everyone told me about the rashes, dreams, dizzyness but everyone failed to mention ..constant HARD ON's.

I would have liked to had heard that. It would have made starting meds much less scary

Hi bug,I noticed that too!!!, I just didnt want to say anything about it....haha...too funny, glad you brought that up plus climax seems better as well...hmmmm....lol. sorry folks if thats too much information just ignore it...lol

Ok its official. From now on whenever someone new states they are starting Atripla and are nervous about the side effects I am going to chime and and tell them how they will be getting some raging hard-on's and a better climax. Hopefully that will quash some fears about starting.

Its been exactly one month since starting meds (Atripla). I had a follow up appointment today with doc. Did some blood work and my kidneys and liver function tests were normal and I do not have any major physical side effects so I am tolerating the meds quite well and am going to continue on this regimen. While we did not do a CD4 or Viral Load test today a CBC was done and my total white blood cell count is still low. 3.2 (I believe 5.0 is minimum/normal). I have had a low total WBC since this all began in fact, that was what prompted them to test for HIV. I will follow up again in 2 months and at that time do a CD4 and VL test.

Emotionally the last few months have been a roller coaster. I work full time and go to grad school as well and the past few months have been a lot (to say the least). Some days I am still angry, other days I'm not. Roller Coaster. ha ha

One thing I do have to say is starting meds has been the least stressful aspect of this. The side effects, pill taking, etc has been very easy. To anyone starting Atripla, don't worry. Give it a shot. Its not bad.

glad to hear everything is going well, we have been on the same med for the same time. I still havent myself gotten a viral load or CD4 since i've been taking it, i will do that on valentines day (for all days) so hopefully things are going well.

i know what you mean about the roller coaster thing, some days i feel good and seem to be ok, then i will pop in and read something in the LTS section and get depressed about what i hear some folks dealing with after all the years i need to learn how to stop reading so much and take one day at a time.

So I started having a rash today. Red everywhere from the neck down and it hurts. Its very itchy but if I scratch my skin it just hurts. I've been on Atripla for a month now. I was assuming (although I could be wrong) that if I developed a rash it would have been when I started. Can the rash start a month after starting Atripla? Will it go away? How long does it take? This blows

my veriamune rash came on three weeks into treatment. started as hive like and attacked me head to toe,face everything. even missed work because of it. i still have it. its six months later. obviously its very faint now and has been for months but i still see it. been doing some rash cream prescribed by a derm. the bad part of the rash went away id say 10 days after, though i could function in public confidently 5 days after out break. take benadryl. that will help.

I've posted it before, but when I got it a friend told me to use "Aveeno" bath solution in a luke warm bath to sooth the itch, the stuff really works well. After the bath, DO NOT rinse off! Just pat yourself dry and leave the Aveeno film on your skin.

Hey thanks that aveno is a great product. I tried it and it really helped, that and Benadryl. Good news!! The rash only lasted a day or so and it gone. However, a couple of days I became really short of breath. I got very worried and called the doctor. Nurse screened me over the phone and said I NEEDED to be seen. Doctorscreened my lungs and heart and said everything was clear and my symptoms appeared to be anxiety. Ive never had axiety or depression before and didnt even know axiety could cause u to be short of breath. He said the Atripla can cause anxiety and prescribed some xanax. Dr said it should go away and not to worry. So, all in all it really hasnt been that bad. Im definately not ready change meds or anything.

I haven't visited/posted here in a long time, but I couldn't help but catch your post headline and then skim through the responses. If you have any ongoing concerns w/ Atripla - my own side effects were horrible - I can attest to the fact that within several days of switching to Norvir/Reyataz/Truvada everything returned to normal. It's been...2 years now? Something like that. I take this combo 1x/day w/ a quick breakfast every morning and am doing great.

Atripla is effective, but keep in mind that other drugs are, too. Don't be afraid to discuss a change w/ your doc if side effects prove too intrusive.

Thanks Rich, good to hear from someone who has some experience. To be hones it has not been that bad so far (its only been a month). I did have a rash but it only lasted one day. This anxiety/breathing issue is something new but im hoping it passes too. Other than those im tolerating the atripla very well. Its good to know I have options though. And for anyone out there starting Atripla. Dont worry its really not bad.

just think happy thoughts! You've been on Atripla 3 months so I wouldn't at all be surprised to hear that you get great numbers back. Your viral load wasn't all that high, and you already had "ok" tcells, so you should be doing really well on treatment.

how long till you get your results back? At my clinic they're coming back in less than a week now.

how long till you get your results back? At my clinic they're coming back in less than a week now.

For VL and CD4 I go in a week before my appointmeny to give blood and then the results are there when I see my doc. For Cbc and liver/kidney function I have to go in an hour before my appointment. Then the results are avail when I see the doc.

It's nice your doc waited a few months to let Atripla do it's thing! Mine insisted on testing every month until I reached UD. It was a bit of a nerve racker!

I know we all react differently to meds, but I'll go out on a limb here and point out our VL and CD4's were about the same when we started Atripla... If I were a betting man I'd double down that you're going to get the UD news too !

Thanks, Here is hoping for the best. I do have a question to put out there. It may be pre-mature to ask but, whatevs.

So when I got diagnosed with HIV back in Oct I felt like shit. Nothing really specific, just I felt "sick" all the time. I had been going to the dr for about a year trying to figure out what was wrong. Finally after a low white blood cell count they tested for HIV and "Voila" positive. So I start on Atripla and I have been expecting to feel better. Its been three months now and I really dont feel all that better. Maybe I am expecting too much too soon. I don't know what I am expecting. I should know that Atriple does not equal cure but.....I feel like from here on out am I going to feel sick all the time?

I felt like shit for quite awhile after starting Atripla. I was not sure if it was adjusting to the meds or my overall condition. Two pieces of advice. Try not to stress but don't hesitate to call your doc with any concerns. I "bugged" the hell out of them (no pun intended) because I thought everything was AIDS.

The upside is that after I adjusted to the Atripla and my CD4 count came up and the VL started getting nuked, I started feeling better than I have felt in years! Some of this is probably mental because the numbers are very, very good but there is no denying that I feel much better physically.

Last spring and summer I was riding the "handicapped" motor carts at Wal-Mart and HEB it was that bad. I was so weak I could barely move for awhile. I took stock in my docs who ALL said it would get better and it did.

Heres another thing. I am not sure what you mean by "feeling like shit." In my case I thought I had a upper respiratory infection that turned out to be pneumonia. Plus I started with horrible counts, I was really sick. If you don't feel good but are being treated, let your doc know and be specific. Remember that this drug works different in everyone so your expectations will likely materialize if not sooner than later.

I hope this helps. Hang in there!

Logged

Diagnosed in May of 2010 with teh AIDS.

PCP Pneumonia . CD4 8 . VL 500,000

TRIUMEQ - VALTREX - FLUOXETINE - FENOFIBRATE - PRAVASTATIN - CIALIS

Numbers consistent since 12/2010 - VL has remained undetectable and CD4 is anywhere from 275-325